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' Be it known that I, CHARLES T. HARVEY, of Tarrytown, in the4 county of Westchester, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elevated Railroads; 'and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which drawing- Figure 1 is an elevation of a supporting column for nu elevated railroad. Y

Figure 2 is a plan or top view thereof.' i

Figure 3 is an elevation of e. modified form of a cylinder or tubel for a`supporting-column, detached, and

Figure 4 is a cross-section thereof.

Figure 5 is an elevetionot a vertical section of the column, and

Figure 6 vis a horizontal section thereof.

Figure 7 issn elevation'of another modification cfa cylinder or tube for a supporting-column, detached, and

Figure 8 is across-section thereof. i l y Thisinvention relates to means for supporting the track of an elevated railroad, and it consists, among other things, in a novel construction of supporting-columns therefor.

The letter Adesignates the column complete, its bottom resting upon a base-plate, E, and its top supporting a frame, J, i1pon which the track rests. l

The column is vcomposed of two or more independent cylinders or tubes, B, of` small diameter, whichare connected to each other in a secure mannrby mezins of interior chocks orbrace-plates, C, interposed and tted at all desirable places between the several cylinders,` as shownfinthe'drawing, which prevent the cylinders from being crushed or bent inwards, and also by encircling-bands, D, that prevent them from being forced asunder. The column here shown is composed of four such independent cylinders or tubes. Wherethe strainer-.force `thanbears onthe column is4 about thesamein all directions, the said cylinders ortubes maybe of the same size,

but where the strain or tendencyto oscillationA is greater transversely of the' track, the cylinders or tubes B on the right and left-hand sides of the column are madeof largerdiametcr and greater' strength than those which are in-linc with the direction of the track. A

The bottoms or lower ends of the said cylinders or tubes B .are curved outwards,` tolforma broad supporting base -for the combined column, und their tops arelikewise curved outwards, togive the'requisite breadth to the combined c olumn at'its top, in order rto form a broad and suitable support for the track of`the'railroad. This curved shape is given to the cylinders or tubesB during the process of manufacture, or afterwards, as preferred, the cylinders or tubes .being filled with a core of sand, rto preventmthe cracking or fracture'of the metal in bending, und being heated to arproper temperaturerto allow th"'em to be brought tothe shape required.l v l Thebo'ttom of the combinedcolumn rests' on a base-plate, E, to which the several cylinders or tubes'` are l fastened by drawbclts,F,'t-hat Vproject upwards from plato E, and enter the bottoms of the cylinders o1 tubes,

to which they are fastened by cross-keys, as shown in Ythe drain/ing. The said draw-boltsare formed with heads,

which t in countersunk holes in the bottom of the base-plate, and are ilush 'with the bottom of the plate.

' .The track is supported on the combined column in the-manner illustrated in iig. 1, by means of a frame, J, which rests upon the 'top of thesevcral cylinders or tubesv B, tonhich it is fastened by draw-bolts and keys, in the same manner above described. for fastening the cylinders 4or tubes` to the base-plate E.. The ends of,` the transverse portiou'of'frnmed'are turned up, as is shown atL L, in order to clasp and hold the rails/of the track in the manner of railroad-chairs, thebent ends, L, vbeingarranged to approachkthe sides of the rails above the bottom danges, to allow keys to be'inserted between such langcsandthe ends Blocks or strips of Wood, K, are laid on the framed, beneath the rails, seas to form an elastic bed therefor, and prevent noise.`

r In `srrangingthe cylinders 'or tubesvB to form a column, they are set at the most advantageous distances apart to obtainl the required stiiness and strength, and in mokingthose columns, through which a propelling cable or chain for movingcnrs is to ascend or descend, the said cylinders or tubes are set apart far enough to leave a central space between them of the required diameter for that purpose, the curvature at their tops and bottoms being drawn with a longer radius, so that the breadth oi" the combined column at its top and bottom shall not be increased.

lhe combined column lis stiffened, and strengthened, and prepared to resist injury from cold and frost, by iilling the cylinders or tubes B with wood, Il, anda wooden filling can also be placed in the central space between the several cylinders or tubes.

The said cylinders or tubes B are round; or oval, or. of anyother shape, and said tubes can bemade square or angular, if preferred, and are composed preferably ot' wrought ormalleable iron. They can be made lap'- welded, according to the usual mode of making gas-pipes, butI prefer to make them with exterior ribs, as shown in figs. 3, 4, 7,.and 8, where the letter I designates such ribs.v In the form shown in figs. 3 and 4 there are two such ribs I, and, in order to produce the saine, I make the cylinder or tube of two semi-cylinders, b b, which have,

along their edges, flanges a a, that are brought together and united by welding or riveting, so as to form a cylinder or cylindrical body from such semi-cylinders. v

In welding theirflanges together, I pass the semi-cylinders, while hot, between rollers of the proper form, and inthat manner, or inany other suitable manner, uniteA them firmly to each other, the ilanges c c being at once the welding-surfaces ofthe semi-cylindrical divisions l b, and forming, when united, ribs, which add greatly to the stillness and strength of the cylinder. The semi-cylinders are madc'concave, if preferred.

Figs. 7 and 8 show another mode of forming the ,cylinder or tube B, in which I provide it with only one rib. In this method I form the cylinder or tube of a single piece of metal, whose edges are turned over to form langes a a, and such piece of metal is then bent into a cylindrical form, so as to bring the llanges together, when they are welded between rollers or riveted together, to form a flange, I, on one side -of the cylinder.

l Columns combined and formed in the manner above set forth can be used for general purposes as well as for supporting an elevated railroad.

In ig. 1, I have shown how the ends L L of frame J are bent over towards the rails, so as to clasp their bottom llanges. In the space between the said bottom anges and sides of the rails and the bent-over ends or hooks L, I interpose wooden keys, M, which tighten these parts of the structure, and prevent them from becoming displaced.

The keys M, being made of wood, will not'become brittle from the eleets of cold and frost, and they will tend tovprevent noise and rattle, and they form elastic bearings at the joints. By means of this mode of constructing the ends of frame J, I am enabled to adjust'the rails ofthe track with accuracy. I make the frame J wide enough to allow its ends L L, when turned up, to extend outwards beyond the rails, so as to afford. ample room for adjusting the rails'laterally on the said frame, in conjunction with the wooden keys M, to bring them to the required curve,for to make them perfectly parallel, or to make them level, and also to allow' the insertion of the said wooden or elastic packing-blocks K beneath the rails, to prevent noise and jar. t

The keys M and blocks K are made of whatever size is necessary, according to the adjustment which is required for each rail.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv

I 1. The construction and arrangement and adjustment of a supporting-column, composed of two or more independent cylinders or tubes, substantially as described.

2. 'The combination of the several cylinders or tubes of the combined column, the frame J, in whiehthe track rests, and the bolts or keys that connect said tubes and frame together, substantially as described.

3. The method of connection of the cylinders or tubes of the 'combined column to the base-plate, by means of bolts or keys, substantially as described. "y

' 4. The construction andarrangement of the Aends oi' the frame J upwards or over the flanges ofthe track,

to serve as a guard to confine the latter in place, with or without the wooden keys M, substantially as described.

CHARLES T. HARVEY.

Witnesses:

J. Q. Pennen,

J. VAN SANTvoonD. 

